Name: Eric Sokolsky
Location: New Jersey
Role: You name it! Strategic planning, media relations, writing, thought leadership programs, crisis communications, client relations
Years with Plat4orm: 7.5
What brought/attracted you to Plat4orm? A mutual associate contacted me out of the blue saying that a small but scrappy legaltech boutique needed someone with strong B2B/vertical skills, media connections and writing abilities. I was like, “What’s legaltech?” I’m really glad I joined. Not only is legaltech really interesting, I’m working with some of the brightest folks, best clients and coolest tech in the business.
What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? I have learned a tremendous amount about the Rule of Law and the American legal justice system – and I never had to go to law school! Beyond that, I have watched technology transform an entire industry, making its practitioners better informed, more effective and more efficient.
If you could do another job for just one day/or start your career over in a different industry, what would it be and why? I’ve always wanted to be a chef. It was my one true passion, and I worked in several restaurants in my younger years, but I was dissuaded from that career path by my father. To me, cooking is both an art and a science, and food is a wonderfully broad canvas. It’s universal. People have a deep emotional connection with food and there is no greater satisfaction (to me) than crafting a great meal and watching the reactions of others as they enjoy it. If I ever win the lottery, I’m moving to France to study with the masters – even if the only ones who enjoy it are me and my family.
Where is the best place you’ve traveled to and why? I honeymooned in Europe, predominantly France. We drove from the south of France (St. Tropez, Cannes, Nice, Monaco, etc.), up the eastern ‘coast’ (Lyon, Dijon) into Burgundy wine country and chateau country (Loire Valley) before ending up in Paris. It was amazing. The culture, the food, the wine, the art and architecture, the history… I walked up the same steps in Versailles that King Louis XVI and Marie Antionette walked hundreds of years ago. Hard to top that.
What was your favorite book, toy, or outfit as a child? I was really into sci-fi and fantasy as a kid (still am, I guess…), and my favorite books were Xanth novels by Piers Anthony. My ‘dad jokes’ would not be the same without him shaping my love of word-play and puns. Later I got into Stephen King, whose books scared the heck out of me (Trust me, you do NOT want to read ‘The Stand’ during a pandemic…). But the book I’ve read and loved the most was ‘Shogun,’ by James Clavell. I’ve wanted to be a samurai ever since…
What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? I’ll tell you what the weirdest thing I’ve never eaten is… giant clam. One time at a sushi restaurant, we ordered one of those giant sushi boats – literally shaped like a ship. As we got down to the less recognizable pieces of sushi, my wife decided to be daring and ate what later we learned was giant clam. Her cringing and gagging caused me and my brother-in-law to laugh hysterically. Perturbed, she threw down the gauntlet and challenged him to eat it, prevailing upon his macho Cuban heritage. Soon, he, too, was cringing and gagging, and we laughed hysterically. When he could speak, he turns to me and says angrily, “Oh, yeah?? YOU eat it!” To which I replied, “Why on earth would I ever do that?” Don’t eat the giant clam, folks…
